Burning Hearts

You dragged us from our homes in chains and forced us to build your country for free.

The sparks are dancing 

When your slave ships got too heavy you threw us off in the middle of the ocean.

The flame is growing 

You didn't let us free until you realized  you were the only country still using slaves and it was no longer profitable.

A log is cast into the growing inferno 

You forced us to live as less than animals and destroyed anything we tried to build for ourselves.

Shadows dance along the walls keeping in time with the flicker of flames 

We helped fight your wars and treated us like the enemy.

When we tried to go back home you sabotaged us over and over again.

Torches, and lighters burn through the night.

We tried to live peacefully among you and you assassinated our leaders.

The only president to receive the most abuse is one of us.

The sound of a million feet create a rhythm 

You slaughtered our brothers, raped our sisters, took away our fathers and left our mothers to mourn alone. 

A million voices harmonize in anguish 

It's time for a change again and we'll keep coming back until things are fixed. 

Conscious Mind

I drifted off to sleep and had a dream,

An old man in his 80’s sat under the shade of a great tree.

He beckoned me closer with a bony finger,

I walked up to him as he gestured for me to take a seat.

“Come child rest your weary feet and have a talk with me.”

I was feeling tired so I did.

“Well, who are you sir?” was the obvious question that came from my lips.

“Me? I’m the keeper of this tree,

I have long since forgotten my name in the sea of time.”

“Well then, what is this tree?” my curiosity building to its peak.

“This is the baobab tree, whose roots connect all things together. But let’s get to you.”

“I’ve been watching you since the beginning,

I know so much about you child,

The things you’ve screamed when no one was around,

The tears you cried in the dark,

The look in your eye seeing other people live the life you can’t,

You need to stop hiding behind the mask,

The lion is waiting to come out,

But the sheep is too afraid of being hurt.

Live up to your name my child,

Be the king that we both know you are and paint the town red with your banner.”

As he speaks he seems to get younger until he’s in his 70’s.

“You are right but I can’t,

I’m too scared,

No one is worthy of the real me,

If I’m a king as you say,

Then why should I entertain peasants?”

The tree starts to shake as a fierce wind blows around us.

The once old man now looks to be in his 60’s and his eyes bore straight through me.

“I once though like you do now,

How foolish I was,

That’s not the way things work,

It’s because you are a king that you must be an example for the people,

You were taught better than that,

We both know it’s the truth.”

He continues to grow younger until he seems to stop at 40.

“Why is it that you know so much about me and all that I apparently must do?

I know this is a dream,

But everything you seem to say is all too true.”

He laughs and finally digresses once more,

  Now I recognize him,

How could I not?

 It’s the person I see in the mirror every day,

It’s me.

“I’m your conscious,

Of course I know all about you,

Who would know you better than yourself?”

He stands up and offers me his hand.

“Now what do you say we take this world by storm?”

I can’t help but laugh and accept his hand

As the world fades to white I feel the weight rise from my shoulder.

   

A bus ride to be remembered

I sit at a bus stop waiting to go home. This kid walks in front of me with a flyer about College. “Higher Education? It’s all about the cars, money, and the girls; I’m only trying to cement my place in the world.” For some reason he looks at me as if waiting for a response and I give him one.

 “Let me school you real quick. If you only opened your eyes from the daydream you might see reality, not everybody has the Models, bottles, and Lamborghinis. Cement your place? You sound like an outdated song on repeat; I’ve seen the rise and fall of guys like you since before you could speak.” He walks away and I get on my bus put my headphones in and relax.

This girl gets on a couple stops after me and sits next to me nails done, hair done, make up on right.

 “The only thing that matters is me getting what I deserve on a silver platter.” Again in the back of my mind I’m trying to figure out why is she saying this to me? My headphones are in my ear!

 “You want everything on a silver platter? Well here you go, tonight’s main course is the truth with a side of advice; careful what you wish for because you may not be able to handle it, the good life you envisioned turns out to be real scandalous. I’m trying to save you from past mistakes being repeated, but knowing your type if this was a text message it would be deleted. ” She turns up her nose saunters away, apparently that was her stop.

I’m halfway home and almost done with my story, I wonder who performs in this next act of the story?

Just my luck here’s another guy who knows what he wants and he’s not shy.  Yet again he talks to me. I need bigger headphones!

He says “Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, so if I imitate the best of them, eventually I’ll become a prodigy."  I can’t help but laugh as I explain.“Imitation is fine in its proper dosage; however it has side effects that you didn’t consider, as your imitation of the best grows stronger, the perception of self continues to grow thinner. Honestly no one wants a copy; last time I checked plagiarism gets you kicked out of most high quality places." He gets mad and storms off at the next stop. Some people can't handle the truth! 

Finally my stops comes up and I couldn't get off faster hoping to avoid another disaster. I run all the way home lock the door and turn , just my luck and to my surprise my brother's group of friends sitting their staring back. "Not now and not today." I slip into my room for a nice long nap.

                      

Marvel and DC

There’s no need to Marvel,

I’m Greater than DC,

The Justice League and the Avengers together couldn’t beat me,

 Faster than the Flash and stronger than the Hulk,

Bring on all the bats and robins,

The spiders and the panthers,

End them all with one Death Stroke,

I’ll extinguish all your Lanterns and flames,

Make your mind readers suffer from a concussion,

Throw a rock at Superman,

Tie a knot in Fantastic,

Buy out Tony and Bruce’s companies,

Shazam Captain Marvel back in to a baby,

Outwit Deadpool let him meet his lover,

Show Zatanna and Miracle a couple new tricks,

Teach Specter and Punisher how to deal with thugs,

 The bugle and the planet couldn’t write a better story

who are we?

If you ask me what I am,

I’ll say African American according to my skin tone,

Native American if you look at my cheek bone,

Japanese when it comes to my reading,
International when it comes to my eating.

What you see is what you get,

If you don’t get what you see,

Good sir my only suggestion is to stop looking at me,

No call to fame, red carpet, or stars

I’ll stick to what I know that’s singing and spitting bars.

The lion that walks quietly is the one that eats meat.

That means if all you do is run your mouth you’ll never defeat me.

But let me turn it around what, no who are you?

What will your legacy be?

Will you discover the immensity of space or the depths of the sea?

Will you ponder the great mysteries of life?

Or is your only concern the next conquest in the night?

So many questions and possibilities to consider, but our lives are finite.

The only option is to use your time right.     

Generation v1

I always hear how something is wrong with this generation,
Can I ask for a little support from the congregation?
If you want us to change fine gives us the room,
Like a flower awaiting the spring for a chance to bloom,
If only I could get you to understand that inside the “problem child” is the future of our races.
Most of us are trying to change,
just look at our faces.
There have been more tragedies committed on the street, than success stories.
you take away the resources for our education,
no art, or music for a high schooler unless you plan to go to Berklee.
then you stick almost thirty students in a room?
next thing you do is start to take away teachers,just to fund a war?
it should be opposite what’s  the point of war, when your children are becoming mentally poor.
It is best to help us while you can.
Funny how we are labeled generations x,y,z.
they must think we are the end of the world.
When we step up usually no one listens to a word.
Even the times when we use the Word, people just ignore us.
you blame us for our alliteration,
you never taught us what we really needed,
I know people who are in their 20’s who never picked up a book,
because no one taught them how to read?
so who's the one at fault and who should be casting blame?
Pass this message on as best as you can,
The powerful effect of a warm smile, or an outstretched hand.
I know a God, who rules across the land,
If you call on him, he will answer your prayers.
It’s not racial but we still have segregation.
These are the cries of the underestimated generations.

Tempation

Woke up in a room with all white sheets

Put on a black T-shirt and some jeans,

Staring at a flag from New Orleans,

 Last time I checked I was at home in Boston.

Talking to a girl whose eyes I got lost in.

I went to back the days with my boys on the court.

Then flirt with the girls like it all was a sport.

I hear a voice telling me I was the best

How did I forget about the girl wrapped in the sheets?

Started remembering all the things she told me,

How they sounded so sweet.

Her name was temptation,

She filled me with a sensation.

Took her out to dinner and a movie,

Up ‘til then things were going smoothly.

Then all I remember was that it was getting late,

So called a cab and brought her back to her place.

From there everything got a little hazy,

I just hope she doesn’t get pregnant with my baby.

The moral of the story in case you haven’t guessed.

Be careful who you talk to or you might end up a mess.